christopher c.
Private tutor in Nyack, NY
Education
Bachelors of Science in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6 NYS Teacher certification, Elementary Education grades 1-6 Psychology minor Deans list 4 semesters One of my future goals is to obtain a Masters Degree in Industrial and Organizational psychology to study what the optimal physical design of a classroom would be to allow for more engaged and autonomic learners. Things like what kind of desks to choose for the students, what kinds of academic "centers" to include in the classroom, if I should have plants or low/bright lighting in the room, for example, would all factor into the kinds of areas I would focus on in my degree. The aim is to research what to include or not include in the physical space of the classroom through implementation and observation or looking at common classroom setups.
Experience
Tutoring is second nature for me because of my desire to become an elementary school teacher. I have taken classes related to structuring curriculum for mathematics, reading and writing for elementary grades and I believe those will help me in designing an action plan for students struggling in those areas. I student taught in NYC public schools, and was able to have practice designing lesson plans using the Columbia University Teacher's College Reading and Writing Program, so my experience in varying lesson designs spans from that to responsive classroom style plans, where the focus is on catering to all types of learners. I focus a lot on using manipulatives to further understanding in math. I do this in hopes of reaching visual spatial learners (according to Eric Gardner's 8 stages of psychosocial development) as well as other types of learners which your child may fall under. For writing, as an educator I have always valued creative expression with a guided formula to developing a cohesive story using a subject, a problem they experience, how the subject solved the problem, and a conclusion to said story. this formula allows the children the freedom to write about what they'd like, while learning the proper structure to a story. For reading, I focus a lot on phonic instruction and developing understanding of sight words. On a more complex level, I can help your child develop ability to read chapter books and develop the ability to re tell major parts of the story. My teaching style allows for a lot of freedom of expression, but I still remain active in scaffolding your child when needed, while pushing them outside of their comfort zone to discover their innate ability to learn. I was also in a managing position at a local ski mountain for the children's ski program for 5 winter seasons. I was tasked with designing hour long ski lesson camps where children aged 2 to 6 would learn how to ski. I designed the program in such a way that it mirrored a responsive style classroom. The beginning consisted of building familiarity with those in the lesson group, and then moving to introducing the students to one ski at a time, learning to be comfortable on the hill, then transitioning to ski practice using taught fundamentals such as "squash the bug" to turn the skis either left tor right.
Availability
Weekdays after 9AM, Weekends in the morning
Can Meet
Up to 25 minutes away for a flat fee
Hobbies
I love to snowboard and hike and be active, so my lifestyle trickles down into my teaching style in ways that allow the children I teach to be active while learning. In my free time, I also love to watch the NY Mets and try to go to games whenever possible. I like to read Post World War 2 American history, and research how that era helped set the stage for cultural norms that exist today. I have been fortunate to have traveled the world, being from an expat family, and have been exposed to many different cultures and their norms. So my acceptance of diversity is paramount and is evidenced in my desire to help any and every child in need, no matter possible cultural differences.
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